The 12th Illinois Cavalry Regiment was a volunteer cavalry

Cavalry

Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...

 regiment

Regiment

A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...

 which served in the Union Army

Union Army

The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...

 during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

.

History

The 12th Cavalry was organized at Camp Butler in February 1862. It was part of the Army of the Potomac

Army of the Potomac

The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...

 from September 1862 to November 1863; the Department of the Gulf from March 1864 to February 1865; and the Department of Texas from July 1865 to May 1866.

The 4th Illinois Cavalry was consolidated with the 12th Illinois Cavalry

4th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Cavalry

The 4th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Cavalry was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 4th Illinois Cavalry was mustered into service at Ottawa, Illinois on September 26, 1861....

on June 14, 1865.

Total strength and casualties

The regiment suffered 38 enlisted men who were killed in action or who died of their wounds and 4 officers and 192 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 234 fatalities.

External links

• http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilcivilw/reg_html/cav_012.htm
• http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilcivilw/history/c12cav.htm
• General Julius White
• http://history.alliancelibrarysystem.com/IllinoisAlive/files/wi/htm3/wi000063.cfm
• http://www.virtualgettysburg.com/exhibit/monuments/pages/sr090.html